When: The festival begins with a concert from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday; then runs 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and 11.a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday. The "duck event" is set for 3 p.m. Monday at the Central Park Bandshell.

Eight months after the fact, September's flood has washed out the Boulder Creek Festival's beloved rubber duck race as organizers on Thursday announced it will take place in an inflatable pool.

The signature event of the 27th annual Boulder Creek Festival will, apparently, be decided by pluck, luck and buoyancy — rather than speed. Concerns over the safety of racing the ducks in a newly unpredictable waterway have beached the race for at least this year.

Imagine that the Bolder Boulder, scheduled for earlier in the day Monday, was to be decided on 50,000 treadmills; that's what a seismic shift Thursday's decision signifies for possibly the most popular feature of the creek festival.

An email from the Boulder Parks and Recreation EXPAND program, the beneficiary of the charitable race, announced that the event is now set instead for 3 p.m. Monday at a kiddies' pool to be set up by the Central Park Bandshell.

In a normal year, several thousand rubber ducks are dropped into the creek from the Ninth Street bridge, and the many race fans can put $5 on a specific duck, with winners determined by whose ducks meander, bob or swirl first to the finish line in a yellow blaze of glory.

"With all factors considered, e.g. the river's unpredictability, the river's current speed, possible weekend weather, and more water coming from Barker Dam, we have decided to cancel the duck race at 4 p.m," stated the message from Cory Lasher, therapeutic program coordinator for EXPAND.

Using a children's pool instead is an option that was also required 18 years ago, Lasher said.

Characteristics of creek have changed

The weekend weather forecast shows a 60 percent chance of rain Friday, possibly heavy at times, and a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms remains in the forecast through Saturday.

The city of Boulder on Thursday advised that Barker Reservoir, outside Nederland, is expected to "fill and spill" in the coming days, due to the combination of seasonal snowmelt flowing into the reservoir and the chance of heavy rain.

Barker Reservoir provides drinking water to Boulder. Because storage space there is limited, once the reservoir is full, any excess inflow passes over the spillway and continues flowing downstream into Boulder Creek.

Boulder Fire Chief Larry Donner said Boulder Creek's flow upstream from Broadway on Thursday was at about 220 cubic feet per second. The expected spilling from Barker Reservoir could raise that to about 500 cfs.

"And, with the unsettled weather that might add to that volume, with the flood and all the repair work that has been done, the basic characteristics of the creek have changed," Donner said.

"It's like an unfamiliar body of water. The degree of uncertainty and unknowns have increased the risk to the point where it would be better to keep people away from the creek banks, and out of the creek itself."

Fishing derby is relocated, too

The duck race is not the only festival feature disrupted by the flood. The Kids' Fishing Derby, due to flood damage at the Evert Pierson Kids' Fishing Pond — scheduled to be repaired by 2015 — has been relocated for this year to Viele Lake in south Boulder. It is set for 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday.

And instead of the duck race, what is now billed as the "duck event" will happen at the bandshell at 3 p.m. Monday, where EXPAND's "Quacky Duck" will pull numbered ducks from a children's pool to determine the winners.

At four booths through the festival area in the days and hours leading up to the event, those feeling lucky about the duckies can "adopt" a duck. Those holding winning tickets will collect from an assortment of 114 prizes set to be awarded, including a year's family membership to Boulder's recreation centers.

"It's still a game of chance. They just don't float down the river," Lasher said.

Proceeds from the duck float will go to EXPAND, which provides recreational opportunities for children, youth and adults with disabilities.

Meg Denbow, spokeswoman for Boulder Creek Events, which stages the creek festival, stressed that despite the "nontraditional" approach to this year's duck event, "We're looking forward to the dozens of other events, exhibits and performances happening in conjunction with the festival this weekend.

"We want to stress that this year is no different than other years; the safety of our community is, and always has been, our top priority."

Denbow also said, "In no way do we expect to have to postpone or cancel the event; however, in the event of an emergency, Festival Director Chris Dailey, as well as representatives from the Boulder police, Boulder fire department and city risk manager's office, will meet to discuss the potential evacuation of the event."

Lasher said it is too soon to know whether the luck of the ducks will be determined in the creek again next year, or in a children's pool.

Lockheed says object part of 'sensor technology' testing that ended ThursdayWhat the heck is that thing? It's fair to assume that question was on the minds of many people who traveled along Colo. 128 south of Boulder this week if they happened to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a large, silver projectile perched alongside the highway and pointed north toward town.

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